DNA Metabarcoding Unveils Habitat-Linked Dietary Variation in Aerial Insectivorous Birds.

ABSTRACT: The conversion of tropical forests into urban and agriculture landscapes may alter insect populations through habitat disturbance and impact the diets of aerial insectivores. Most dietary studies on aerial insectivores have limitation on identifying prey at higher taxonomic levels in broad landscapes, restricting species-level identification and thus making a detailed dietary comparison impossible. This study examines the dietary changes through adaptation of house-farm swiftlets (Aerodramus sp.) and Pacific swallows (Hirundo tahitica) across three distinct habitats in Peninsular Malaysia: mixed-use landscapes, oil palm plantations, and paddy fields. High-throughput DNA metabarcoding with ANML primers targeting mitochondrial CO1 gene, identified 245 arthropod prey spec

SUBMITTER: Arazmi FN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11987892 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature